THE COMPANY
The Canadian 19|fifties union men’s grooming brings us products in a 50s style. They stand out with their square, classy, richly designed tins. What does the term ‘Union’ mean? Union is named after Toronto’s infamous Union Station where in 1954 Toronto’s world-renowned subway line began.
More info: https://www.19fifties.com/
POMADE IN THE SPOTLIGHT
Pomade I’m going to talk you about is: the union oil based. Medium hold referring to the 50s, with with a premium output for the debonair man. This oil based is poured into a square, green-white-gold colored tin with printed on/imprinted labels. The cover has the company’s label imprinted, saying: ‘authentic, debonair’. At the sides of the lid slogans as: ‘genuine, barber formulated, specially prepared, grooms clean as a whistle’. The 4 sides: pomade type designation, application instructions, ingredients and a fifties couple with well groomed hair. Turning the tin upside down, you see a little gap before you reach the bottom. Info on there: product of Canada, more useful product info, content (4 oz/113 g) and the meaning of the term Union. The design is very premium, classy and classic = dig this a lot. Within the design, you will meet a pale yellow pomade.
INGREDIENTS
Petrolatum, microcrystalline wax, beeswax, avocado oil, jojoba oil, caprylic/capric triglyceride, lanolin, vitamin E oil, fragrance.
- Caprylic/capric triglyceride is a mixture of two fatty acids used as a moisturizing and nourishing agent.
SCENT
Green apple. The first pomades were apple scented. Pomme is the French word for apple. Pomme = Pom-ade. The tin’s most dominant green color matches the scent which is reminiscent of Reuzel green. The fragrance oil does not smell chemical, you get a spot on green apple, a bit candy-alike. Opening the tin: you’ll encounter a rather intense aroma. In the hair: present but not pushy. I don’t fancy this smell but can look past that if the pomade delivers.
STYLING PROCESS
My hair type: medium thick, wavy, somewhat unruly hair, medium length. I wear a contour.
My styling equipment: Denman brush D3, Bixby comb and a boar brush.
Application: in freshly washed, damp hair to manage my waves. 3 proper licks sufficed.
Scooping: the top layer comes off a little hard. Just push, that’s it.
Breakdown: smears easily into a creamy texture with a tad of waxiness. Feels somewhat thick and a little sticky. No greasiness.
Working in: comfortable thing. Some minimal resistance noticeable. Glides through the hair nicely, disperses well.
Combing back: minor tension. Switching the hair’s direction aside happens with scarce tug and pull.
Control: provides nice control. Does not feel waxy or overly sticky but smooth and slick translating into an agreeable laying and keeping down the mane. The hair follows the strokes of the brush without fighting back. Sides: slicked down nicely. The union tamed my cowlicks and lifting my front went well without wavy hair as a result. No straying going on. Feels well-balanced. It reminds me of a thicker, smoother version of Reuzel green.
SHINE
‘Slick N’ Shiny’ or 5/5 sheen. To me: more of a medium shine that persists.
HOLD
Advertised as a good medium hold: 3/5. For me this is a balanced medium. Its hold is just enough on freshly washed hair but could have been a bit stronger for me.
ENDURANCE
This review was written during the coronavirus pandemic: zero heavy-duty, sitting at home, relaxing most of the time. I went out for a walk in temperatures around 50° F with windy weather. Did the union endure well? My hair kept overall shape, a few strays and hairs out of model here and there, tiny sagging, no splits. The hold decreased to a medium-light.
RESTYLING
Oil based = restyling is key. Some minor touch ups was all I had to do.
BUILD UP
I don’t wash my hair on a daily base. Build up for me: water, tonic and 2 scoops to revive everything. Manageable build up the following days: a charm to work with! Union oil based works better with build up but the hold decreased throughout the day.
WASH OUT
The company claims this washes out easy. The washing out process is different for everybody. Wasn’t difficult at all to remove completely.
SIMILAR POMADE(S)
Reuzel green.
Interested in oil based pomades only? You can join our ‘Oil Based Pomade Enthusiasts’ Facebook group – https://www.facebook.com/groups/OilBasedPomadeEnthusiasts/
POMADE IN WORDS 